Internal-combustion engine



Sept. 5, 1944. w, P. FLYNN 2,357,464

INTERNAL COMBUS T ION ENGINE Filed Dec. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Z4 Z0 .lo i i /05 l if /f- 2 l l 44) IZA 70 Le 85 '3^ .74

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ATTORNEYS Sep-t. 5, 1944.

Filed Deo. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 79m, l Man/WM awp ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 5, 1944 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE 2,357,464 INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE William P. Flynn, London, Ontario, Canada Application December 27, 1941, Serial No. 424,585

In Canada January 2, 1941 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 91) My invention relates to an internal combustion engine.

More particularly, the invention relates to an engine having new means of operating the poppet valves and also new means of distributing the current to the spark plugs.

The engine, in the form disclosed, is of the radical type used in aircraft, but the invention is equally applicable to other engines.

The objects of the invention, generally, are to provide an improved cam system for the operation of the usual p'oppet valves of an internal combustlon engine.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a new cam system for the operation of the poppet valves, such that the valves of each cylinder, that is, both inlet and exhaust, are actuated by a cam mounted on a revolving cylinder or sleeve, the sleeve being revolved by a reciprocating member operatively connected to, and actuated by, the crank shaft of the engine.

Another specic object of the invention is to provide new means of distributing the current to the spark plugs.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the various gures,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section through a cylinder of a four stroke engine, the section being in a plane through the longitudinal axis of the crank shaft and axis of the cylinder, and parts being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary, developed top plan view of the engine;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of details of construction, more particularly, the cam sleeve and actuating plunger;

Figure 4 is a developed view of the inside Wall -of the sleeve.

Referring now by numerals to the drawings, I y

pivotally connected to the wrist pins 80, respectively, of the various pistons I2, respectively.

I5 and I6 are the usual poppet valves, I5 being the inlet valve and I6 the exhaust valve. As is the usual practice, the upper portion or head of each cylinder I0 has a chamber dened in part by a horizontal partition I8, the partition being suitably formed to provide seats 20 for the valves. The chamber is in turn divided into an exhaust chamber 2| and an inlet chamber-22 by a vertical partition 23, to receive the products of combustion from a cylinder and to receive the combustible charge or mixture from the carburetor, respectively. The poppet valves I5 and I6 may be formed according to usual practice, including a stem 24 adapted to slide in the cylinder head. Between a collar 25 rigid with the stem and the upper wall of the cylinder head is a coil spring 26 compressed to normally retain the valve in its closed or seated position. Pivoted as at 21 in lugs or brackets 28 extending from the cylinder are rocker arms 30, one associated with each of the two poppet valves.

Mounted adjacentA the cylinder -is a casing 32 formed with a circular bore adapted to house a revolvable cylinder or sleeve 34. The sleeve 34 is formed with a peripheral wall or shoulder 36 housed in a circular race 38 formed into the cas ing 32 and an upper extension thereof 32A. Ball bearings 39 are disposed within the race, on each side of the shoulder 36, to thus retain the cylinder or sleeve 34 in its operative revolvable position, within the casing 32 and extension 32A. Roller bearings 42 are preferably provided in an annular groove 42A formed into the wall of the bore of the casting 32, to thus facilitate the rotation of the sleeve.

Slidably mounted withinA the circular bore of the cylinder 34 is a plunger 44. The plunger may take the form of a sleeve (see Figure 3) transversely of which is a hollow member or sleeve 46.

vsuitably secured at opposite ends in the wall of the plunger sleeve. Slidably and rotatably mounted in the hollow member 46 are two cupshaped rollers 48, the rollers being assembled within the member 46 to present their open ends toward the inside of the plunger sleeve, to receive the opposite ends of a compressed coil spring 43. The spring thus tends to force the rollers out of the plunger. The inside face of the bore of the sleeve 34 is formed with angularly-disposed intercommunicating and endless grooves or races 49A, in which the rollers are adapted to ride, so that a reciprocating motion of the plunger 44 will cause the sleeve 34 to rotate within the casing. In other words. a lineal -motion of the plunger will be translated into a rotary motion of the sleeve. It is preferable that the grooves 49A be stepped down suddenly adjacent the top and bottom. Thus, the depth of the grooves may be in.. creased, say by one-eight of an inch at 81, the

depth of the grooves then Being decreased gradually as from 'a line 88 until it merges with the bottom of the groove at 89. By so providing a portion of increased depth at the top and bottom of each groove, the rollers 48 will be guided true down or up, as the case may be, into the required grooves, to thus assure the rotation of the sleeve in one direction only.

On the upper face or wall oi' the sleeve 34 is a double wedged cam member 50, which is disposed to engage with a roller 52 journalled on the lower end of each of two rods 55 slidable vertically, in the casing extension 32A as well as in a bracket or guide 58 extending from the cylinder. The rods 55 extend above the bracket 58 to engage with one end of the rocker arms 30. A cap, in the form of a nut 80, may be used on the upper end of each rod 55 for adjustment purposes, and a nut 6| may also be used for locking purposes. The roller 52 is normally held in riding engagement or contact with the upper wall or top of the sleeve by a coil spring 83, compressed between the bracket 58 and a shoulder 85 formed in the rod.

If preferred, the cam 50 may be made adjustable circumferentially at the .top of the sleeve 34 by providing an arcual slot 90 in the cam 50 adapted to receive a screw 9| threaded into the top of the sleeve, or if desired (though not shown), the arcual slot may be formed in the sleeve and the cam adjustably secured in place by a countersunk bolt or other suitable means.

It will now be clear that as each of the rods 55 is raised by the cam, the associated rocker arm will be actuated to unseat the associated valve and therefore open the cylinder to the particular compartment (2| or 22) with which the valve is associated. After the cam has travelled beyond the rod, or more particularly beyond the roller 52, the rod will be actuated downwardly by the spring, and the valve will seat itself under the action of the spring.

The rollers 52 are so disposed circumferentially that while one of the poppet valves is open, the other is closed, and vice versa, both valves being successfully open, and closed, during one-half a revolution of the sleeve 34, or, in other words, during two consecutive strokes of the piston |2. Similarly, for the other two strokes of the piston I2, that is, the compression and-firing strokes, the poppet valves will remain closed or seated.

From each of the plungers extends a rod 'l0 which is slidably mounted in -a guide or bearing 1| fixed relatively to the bed or frame. 'I'he rod 10, (and similar rods from the plungers 44 of the various sleeves 34, respectively),ris actuated byan eccentric device associated with the crank shaft, from which device extend radially disposed rods or arms 14 each pivotally connected with its associatedrod 10. The eccentric device may be of any suitable design, or may be made as shown in Figure l. Thus, a disc 93, having a circumferential flange or track 94, is provided with an eccentrically positioned aperture (not shown) adapted to receive the crank shaft. The disc may be secured to the shaft as by a screw 96 (or two or more screws) threaded through both disc and shaft. Riding on the disc or eccentric 93, and more particularly on the track or flange 94, is a two-piece segment shoe or casing 98, the two segments being secured together as with bolts 99 passed through co-operating lugs |00. The rods or arms 14 extend from, and are rigid with, the

periphery of the casing 98. When the engine comprises two banks of cylinders, as in Figure 2,

it is preferable to stagger the cylinders and to stagger the sleeve casings, all as best shown in Figure 2. This will make for economy oi space and material. It clearly will be seen that the poppet valves are unseated or opened, and seated or closed, by the rotary movement of the crank shaft.

The rotation of the sleeve 34 may be utilized to time the spark plug of the particular cylinder with which the sleeve is associated. Thus, an extension |02, made of insulating material, rigid with the top of the sleeve and therefore rotating therewith, is arranged in the longitudinal axis of the sleeve to project beyond the casing head 32A. To the end of the extension is secured a switch or distributor contact or arm I 03 in riding contact with a terminal |04 electrically connected, as usual. to the secondary coil of the usual ignition system. The contact or arm |03 is adapted to slidably engage a terminal |05 which is electrically connected to the spark plug of the particular cylinder with which the particular sleeve 34 is associated. Thus, so long as the main cable is intact, the cylinders will be xed independently of one another, since each such cylinder is equipped with its own distributor.

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion cylinder and a spring-seated poppet valve to be operated as a function of the rotation of the crank shaft of the engine; a .cylinder mounted in xed parallel relationship to said combustion cylinder, a sleeve journalled to rotate in said fixed cylinder and having a cam thereon, the bore of said sleeve having an endless irregularly-directed groove, a plunger slidably mounted in the bore of said sleeve and having a roller riding in said groove, a rod rigid with said plunger, a guide in which said rod is slidably mounted to limit said plunger to a sliding motion in said sleeve, an operatve connecton between said rod and the crank shaft of the engine for imparting a reciprocatory motion to said rod, a rocker arm operable to unseat said valve, and an operative connection between said rocker arm and said sleeve operable by said cam to actuate said rocker arm to unseat said valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion cylinder, a poppet valve associated with said cylinder, a spring-resisted rocker arm operable to unseat said valve, and a crank shaft; means to operate said rocker arm to unseat said valve, comprising a cylinder in fixed parallel relationship to said combustion cylinder, a sleeve journalled to rotate in said fixed cylinder, a cam xed on said sleeve, the bore of said sleeve having an endless irregularly-directed groove, a plunger slidable in said sleeve and having spring-pressed rollers riding in said groove, an operative connection between said shaft and said plunger for imparting a reciprocatory motion to said plunger by the rotation of said shaft, and an operative connection between said rocker and the cam on said sleeve operable by said cam to actuate said rocker arm to unseat said valve.

3. In an internal combustion engine having a combustion cylinder, avvalve associated with said combustion cylinder, a spring normally holding said valve in its seated position, a crank shaft, and two spaced terminals, a cylinder in fixed parallel relationshipy to said combustion cylinder; a rotary sleeve journalled in said cylinder and having a cam thereon, reciprocating means actuated by said crank shaft co-operating with said sleeve to'impart a rotary motion to said sleeve.

a rotary sleeve journalled in said cylinder and having an adjustable cam, thereon, reciprocating means actuated by said crank shaft co-operating with said sleeve toimpart a rotary motion to said sleeve, means between said valve and said sleeve adapted to be actuated by said cam to unseat said valve against the action of said spring, and means rotatable with said sleeve to establish periodic electrical connection between said terminals.

WM. P. FLYNN. 

